Andrew Facini
@andrewfacini.com
Nuke policy starter pack! https://go.bsky.app/8jiQV43
Nuclear weapons policy, history, culture, and other things to help you sleep. Comms Director and Sr Fellow, @councilonstrategicrisks.org. Teaching and such at Harvard Extension. Views my own.
Nuclear weapons policy, history, culture, and other things to help you sleep. Comms Director and Sr Fellow, @councilonstrategicrisks.org. Teaching and such at Harvard Extension. Views my own.
Wrote this thing with a damn monkey's paw I guess
October 30, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Wrote this thing with a damn monkey's paw I guess
Oooh yeah I'll grab a quick iced tea on the way to work
October 29, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Oooh yeah I'll grab a quick iced tea on the way to work
I'm not a big linkedin guy. I probably should post more stuff there, but alas.
This week, I made one (1) post, to send around the report. And immediately heard from this guy.
What I'm saying is, what's YOUR excuse?
This week, I made one (1) post, to send around the report. And immediately heard from this guy.
What I'm saying is, what's YOUR excuse?
October 24, 2025 at 9:50 PM
I'm not a big linkedin guy. I probably should post more stuff there, but alas.
This week, I made one (1) post, to send around the report. And immediately heard from this guy.
What I'm saying is, what's YOUR excuse?
This week, I made one (1) post, to send around the report. And immediately heard from this guy.
What I'm saying is, what's YOUR excuse?
PEOC is (was?) East Wing, yep
October 23, 2025 at 7:56 PM
PEOC is (was?) East Wing, yep
That's why we recommend three main approaches to reduce these risks:
1. Better understand these weapons (and communicate a clear distinction)
2. Reinforce the norm on non-use, both as a moral position and a tool of statecraft
3. Build risk-reduction into exercises and deployments
1. Better understand these weapons (and communicate a clear distinction)
2. Reinforce the norm on non-use, both as a moral position and a tool of statecraft
3. Build risk-reduction into exercises and deployments
October 23, 2025 at 1:40 PM
That's why we recommend three main approaches to reduce these risks:
1. Better understand these weapons (and communicate a clear distinction)
2. Reinforce the norm on non-use, both as a moral position and a tool of statecraft
3. Build risk-reduction into exercises and deployments
1. Better understand these weapons (and communicate a clear distinction)
2. Reinforce the norm on non-use, both as a moral position and a tool of statecraft
3. Build risk-reduction into exercises and deployments
And hell, if even only select portions of these challenges are relevant in any given scenario, it's a huge challenge of perception above all else.
That means that even the development of or reliance on TNW has an outsized effect on both strategic (day-to-day) and crisis (what-happens-if) stability.
That means that even the development of or reliance on TNW has an outsized effect on both strategic (day-to-day) and crisis (what-happens-if) stability.
October 23, 2025 at 1:37 PM
And hell, if even only select portions of these challenges are relevant in any given scenario, it's a huge challenge of perception above all else.
That means that even the development of or reliance on TNW has an outsized effect on both strategic (day-to-day) and crisis (what-happens-if) stability.
That means that even the development of or reliance on TNW has an outsized effect on both strategic (day-to-day) and crisis (what-happens-if) stability.
Though some are trying to downplay the impacts of low-yield nukes, it's important to remember that we're talking about "mere" Hiroshima-level forces with TNW.
Even at their lowest settings, these weapons are *orders of magnitude* more powerful than any conventional bomb. And that, too, factors in.
Even at their lowest settings, these weapons are *orders of magnitude* more powerful than any conventional bomb. And that, too, factors in.
October 23, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Though some are trying to downplay the impacts of low-yield nukes, it's important to remember that we're talking about "mere" Hiroshima-level forces with TNW.
Even at their lowest settings, these weapons are *orders of magnitude* more powerful than any conventional bomb. And that, too, factors in.
Even at their lowest settings, these weapons are *orders of magnitude* more powerful than any conventional bomb. And that, too, factors in.
This means specific damages / contexts would matter greatly to the knock-on effects and state responses. A strategic exchange may mean the end of the world, but a singular nuclear explosion is a disaster that can be observed, reported, shared—and distorted. A rhetorical front.
October 23, 2025 at 1:31 PM
This means specific damages / contexts would matter greatly to the knock-on effects and state responses. A strategic exchange may mean the end of the world, but a singular nuclear explosion is a disaster that can be observed, reported, shared—and distorted. A rhetorical front.
For this, we developed several plausible scenarios for TNW use, including against a facility, troops in the field, and as demonstration shot.
Each has distinct challenges, but the core attempt of leveraging "nuanced" escalation—"it's only tactical" while crossing the nuclear line—is a giant risk.
Each has distinct challenges, but the core attempt of leveraging "nuanced" escalation—"it's only tactical" while crossing the nuclear line—is a giant risk.
October 23, 2025 at 1:26 PM
For this, we developed several plausible scenarios for TNW use, including against a facility, troops in the field, and as demonstration shot.
Each has distinct challenges, but the core attempt of leveraging "nuanced" escalation—"it's only tactical" while crossing the nuclear line—is a giant risk.
Each has distinct challenges, but the core attempt of leveraging "nuanced" escalation—"it's only tactical" while crossing the nuclear line—is a giant risk.
Thrilled today to release our big report on tactical nukes.
In writing up all of the effects, it was striking just how unprepared we would be to handle any of these scenarios—and how much the mere presence of these weapons add vulnerability to any crisis.
Quick thread on why TNW are so risky:
In writing up all of the effects, it was striking just how unprepared we would be to handle any of these scenarios—and how much the mere presence of these weapons add vulnerability to any crisis.
Quick thread on why TNW are so risky:
October 23, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Thrilled today to release our big report on tactical nukes.
In writing up all of the effects, it was striking just how unprepared we would be to handle any of these scenarios—and how much the mere presence of these weapons add vulnerability to any crisis.
Quick thread on why TNW are so risky:
In writing up all of the effects, it was striking just how unprepared we would be to handle any of these scenarios—and how much the mere presence of these weapons add vulnerability to any crisis.
Quick thread on why TNW are so risky:
1. Lmao
2. Obviously he meant B-21
3. Confusing the two off the cuff is pretty reasonable
4. But talking about it with reference to the overflight last month is mistaking the two
5. Not actually knowing the difference is bad
6. We're making decisions based on this kind of thing??
6. Lmao
2. Obviously he meant B-21
3. Confusing the two off the cuff is pretty reasonable
4. But talking about it with reference to the overflight last month is mistaking the two
5. Not actually knowing the difference is bad
6. We're making decisions based on this kind of thing??
6. Lmao
October 15, 2025 at 11:31 PM
1. Lmao
2. Obviously he meant B-21
3. Confusing the two off the cuff is pretty reasonable
4. But talking about it with reference to the overflight last month is mistaking the two
5. Not actually knowing the difference is bad
6. We're making decisions based on this kind of thing??
6. Lmao
2. Obviously he meant B-21
3. Confusing the two off the cuff is pretty reasonable
4. But talking about it with reference to the overflight last month is mistaking the two
5. Not actually knowing the difference is bad
6. We're making decisions based on this kind of thing??
6. Lmao
American Energy Dominance, not whatever this woke shit is
October 13, 2025 at 10:06 PM
American Energy Dominance, not whatever this woke shit is
People say the Air Force has the weirdest institutional culture in the services but my god the Navy's claim to lore is unparalleled
October 8, 2025 at 8:35 PM
People say the Air Force has the weirdest institutional culture in the services but my god the Navy's claim to lore is unparalleled
Out: begging students to not write their assignments with AI
In: including invisible instructions for the copy-pasters
In: including invisible instructions for the copy-pasters
October 2, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Out: begging students to not write their assignments with AI
In: including invisible instructions for the copy-pasters
In: including invisible instructions for the copy-pasters
On workforce, many snags turned out to be hyperlocal concerns—from housing to aging lab spaces to competing industry.
The opportunities to craft one's career both within and outside the Labs can also be improved, with benefits for both sides.
And, a particular yikes on training pipeline:
The opportunities to craft one's career both within and outside the Labs can also be improved, with benefits for both sides.
And, a particular yikes on training pipeline:
October 1, 2025 at 4:39 PM
On workforce, many snags turned out to be hyperlocal concerns—from housing to aging lab spaces to competing industry.
The opportunities to craft one's career both within and outside the Labs can also be improved, with benefits for both sides.
And, a particular yikes on training pipeline:
The opportunities to craft one's career both within and outside the Labs can also be improved, with benefits for both sides.
And, a particular yikes on training pipeline:
For manufacturing & production, navigating the need to update machinery and processes is a specifically sensitive risk.
Innovations like advanced CNC and 3D printing can bring better/safer automation and shore up vulnerable supply chains, but must be brought along with the talent pool to use them.
Innovations like advanced CNC and 3D printing can bring better/safer automation and shore up vulnerable supply chains, but must be brought along with the talent pool to use them.
October 1, 2025 at 4:39 PM
For manufacturing & production, navigating the need to update machinery and processes is a specifically sensitive risk.
Innovations like advanced CNC and 3D printing can bring better/safer automation and shore up vulnerable supply chains, but must be brought along with the talent pool to use them.
Innovations like advanced CNC and 3D printing can bring better/safer automation and shore up vulnerable supply chains, but must be brought along with the talent pool to use them.
Professor Rasczak has entered the chat
September 30, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Professor Rasczak has entered the chat
Yeah you know, so I signed up online-
September 19, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Yeah you know, so I signed up online-